Sparks the imagination, teaches the magic of the alphabet, inspires young readers to follow their dreams. Wholesome entertainment for the whole family. The Illistrations are wonderful!!

I own all six volumes published until now (ostriches to hornbills) of this series and I find it the most amazing source of information on birds. You find a very complete description of every bird family with beautiful pictures of birds in every family, followed by a thorough uptodate description of every single species of bird, including taxonomy, distribution, habitat, feeding, movements, conservation, bibliography... The text is adjacent to a distribution map for every species. You also find gorgeous plates with drawings of each species and important subspecies, male and female plumages.
This is a truly gigantic enterprise, testament to the love that birds inspire on mankind. You don't have to be an ornithologist to apreciate this magnificent work, you just have to enjoy the variety of birds in this world.
This handbook is a work in progress, with many volumes still to come (all passerines plus woodpeckers and allies). Each volume gets better! It is an embarrassment of riches. It is also a wake up call, for it is to be feared that many species described here will desapear before this handbook is completed. I have just received the sixth volume and cannot wait for the next one!

My name is Per Bergman and I'm interested in parrots and when I need to get some information about a specific parrot, I haven't found a better lexicon to look for untill I find this book .In this book you can look by name, in several different languages including scientific language. If you dont have the name, you are able to find the right bird by looking on the very nice and well done pictures in the book.And it is very easy to find in the lexicon, it's easy to look in and the text is sharp and exact.Even if you have access to the internet, you hardly can be without this eminnent lexicon A very nice jobb indeed.

This book got me down on the ground to peer up into the cupped flowers of my hellebores to study their pollination structures and set me on stake-out around my crocuses to see who came to pollinate them. Just as The Natural History of Pollination predicted, the first honeybee of the season moved from the chalice of one crocus to the next and to the next, checking out but passing over the intervening primrose, hellebore and Oregon grape flowers. The crocus has an agenda, the bee has an agenda, and I enjoyed an early spring day in the garden more because I had more insight into their agendas. This detailed book is accessible to anyone with a basic science vocabulary and is richly illustrated with photos of plants and their pollinators, as well as helpful line drawings. I recommend this to any gardener who wants to deepen their understanding of what's going on in their garden and to any student of natural history who wants to better appreciate the complex coevolutionary dance around us. This book has made me more attentive to a world of wasps and tiny flies, and to the myriad bee species. It has helped me see flowers from the point of view of the pollinators essential to them: insects, bats and hummingbirds. Those charming dots of color on foxgloves and hellebores serve as landing guidelines for bees. The sweet perfumes of lilac and honeysuckle seduce butterflies. The carrion odor of jack-in-the-pulpit and arum lilies attracts flies. My wild ginger imitates the scent of a fungus on which a certain kind of fly lays its eggs, luring this pollinator to its flowers. And how about those white flowers that open in the evening to draw moths? I keep this book handy as new plants come into bloom, so I can appreciate them better as I understand their strategies for reproducing themselves.

We bought this book after our rugby team had two concussions during a match. This book breaks down possible injuries and gives a list of warning signs and how to stabilize injuries until you can reach a hospital. I was very impressed with the clear writing style which makes it possible for anyone to understand and apply the techniques described. I recommend this book for sports teams to keep with their medicine chest.

This is the book on which the Academy award winning movie was based. Listed as for "young adults," I still found it to be a delightful read for summer's train ride to work. The movie, by the way, is rather loyal to the book's story, but improves it in some areas. The book, though, gives the reader more background on Homer Smith (the protagonist) and the subtleties of his character. The author also better explains the reasons for Sister Marthe's obsession with building the church and her effect on the community. The writing flows smoothly and the author does not use the religious characters for proselytizing. I would recommend this book for any secular or non-secular reader of middle grade age and higher.

I'm not going to quote from the book, and I'm not going review this book by telling you who did what to whom. This is what I believe is the jist of this story:

When someone is expected to do something, this someone has an opportunity to be loved by people who sought his work. If the expectation is unreasonable, or highly unprobable to be fulfilled, then this is faith. One who does not disappoint faith is the one who achieves greatness.

This is the story of one such person.

There is a young legend developing on the west side of the mountains. It will, inevitably, grow with the years. Like all legends, it is composed of falsehood and fact. In this case, the truth is more compelling than the trappings of imagination with which it has been invested. The man who has become a legendary figure was, perhaps, of greater stature in simple reality than he will ever be in the oft-repeated, and expanded, tales which commemorate his deeds. Here, before the whole matter gets out of hand, is how it was...

His name was Homer Smith. -The Lilies of the Field

And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you- you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?' For it is the gentiles who strive for all these things. But strive first for the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 'So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today. -Matthew 6:28-34

It's maddening to see so many references to The Lilies of the Field, both book and movie, as "minor." Sure, it's a short book. Yes, the characters and situation are so idealized that it's nearly a fable. No, it does not accurately reflect the state of race relations in America in the early 1960s, nor at any other time anywhere, for that matter. But ask yourself this : how many books have you read in your life that actually made you feel more optimistic about the prospects of the species ? If it's really that easy to create sympathetic characters and write a story that uplifts the spirits, why haven't more authors written them ? Isn't it fair to conclude that the paucity of such stories, and the memorable nature of this one, indicate just how major an occurrence it is when one gets written ?

At any rate, hopefully everyone knows the tale, either from the great film or from a required reading in High School. As the opening lines above indicate, Homer Smith is a nearly mythological figure, a kind of John Henry, Paul Bunyan, or Shane. In an unlikely turn of events, this black Baptist former Army sergeant ends up helping some Catholic nuns, refugees from East Germany, to build a chapel in the New Mexico desert, despite a lack of help, tools, and materials.

Homer Smith brings an invaluable set of qualities to his task, chief among them : self confidence, self reliance, a puritan work ethic, and a healthy amount of pride. Mother Maria Marthe, the Teutonic leader of the tiny band of nuns, brings one great gift, faith :

Faith. It is a word for what is unreasonable. If a man believes in an unreasonable thing, that is faith.

Mother genuinely believes that God will provide, even that Homer has been sent by God, and that He will see to it that the chapel is built. The powerful combination of this mismatched pair's inner strengths serves as an inspiration to the entire community. Hispanic, Anglo, and Black; Catholic and Protestant; wealthy and poor; German, Mexican, and American; they come together to create a unique house of worship. And as the legend of Homer Smith grows in the desert, Mother Maria Marthe says of him :

'That is the chapel of Saint Benedict the Moor. ... That painting of the saint is the work of Sister Albertine. The model was a man named Schmidt who came to us under the direction of God. He built this chapel with his two hands under great difficulties. It is all from him.'

She pauses then and her voice drops. 'He was not of our faith, nor of our skin,' she says, 'but he was a man of greatness, of an utter devotion.'

Just as Homer's devotion to his task and Mother's faith give them a certain greatness, the aspirational beauty of this book gives it too a greatness that defies that parsimonious "minor" classification.

GRADE : A+

I read this book because I was a newbie needing some good info on hiding, offense, defense etc... After i finished absorbing the explicit deatail in this book I went to Splat Attack (my nearest paintball field) and won the game practically by myself. We played a 7 on 7 and i took out 5 guys. This book is easy to read, and the information is worth it. "The Complete Guide to Paintball" is great for about anything you can think of.

This is a great book for both the weekend warrior, and those wanting to join a competitive team. Regardless of your skill level it holds something for you. It covers history, game rules and in depth gear and accessories information. The book outlines game tactics, techniques, equipment and how to use bunkers and cover to your advantage. Professional players are interviewed, and their tips to success are revealed.

For the battle hardened players,there are analysis' of guns and air systems, along with advanced strategys and training drills.

I enjoyed this book because it was informative and fun to read when I was a beginner, and I am still learning advanced techniques such as capturing and defending a building/fortress.

Chapters are well sectioned off, so it is easy to dip into or re-read an area of particular interest. Well worth a look for those who enjoy the game.

I just started paintball and this book describes just about everything a newbie would want to know about the sport. A lot of really good pictures give you an idea of what type of clothing, camoflauge, marker accessories you might want to try. The more experienced player would probably use this book to get an idea of other types of games to play since quite a number of different games are described. A great book for beginner players and a very good book for the experienced players

Golden Guides are often described as books for children just discovering the natural world. While the series is eminently usable by young naturalists, Golden Guides are solid introductory field guides.

The strong point of "Butterflies and Moths" is its extensive coverage of butterfly larvae and pupae. A common complaint about many if not all more advanced field guides for laypeople is that they fail to include illustrations for te identification of caterpillars. The Golden Guide remedies this shortcoming and includes solid coverage of moths as well, whose less-glamorous condition excludes them from other butterflies-only guides (the Peterson Guide is a notable exception). In terms of weaknesses, the illustrations of adult butterflies have, in my experience, not been detailed or accurate enough to positively identify some species.

I carried an earlier edition of "Butterflies and Moths" around with my as I traipsed about fields near my home, butterfly hunting. I'd find a butterfly (or moth, as the case may be) and approximate which one it was through this guide.

The pictures are accurate. Not only will you see the butterfly, but a close up of various parts. There are maps showing where it can be found, a very useful tool when the picture doesn't seem to match. It can help you determine if you have a certain variation, or a very lost butterfly.

Though a picture is worth a thousand words, the text found here is equally helpful. There are Latin names, pupae descriptions, eating habits and more. They've been careful not to overwhelm the reader, but there's plenty to whet the reading appetite of any young butterfly hunter.

It isn't just for children. Anyone with a garden would be happy to have this as a reference or as curious reading to learn just who has been munching the lettuce.

I fully recommend "Butterflies and Moths" by Robert T. Mitchell.

Anthony Trendl

I recently purchased my second copy of this classic field guide. I still have my originial after thirty-six years (it sold for $1.00 back then). It is loaded with just enough useful information to help you identify many of the most common North American species. What I like most about this guide is the convenient small size.

This is one of those books that makes you wonder if anyone attempted to proof or edit it before publication. A couple of the exercises referred to in the workouts cannot be found in the exercise descriptions. Sometimes, the written descriptions of the exercises contradict the accompanying photographs. Don't get me wrong, the routines provide tough and credible workouts. But reading the book requires some interpretation and assumptions.

This book gives a simple but effective way to get in shape, using calisthetics, weights, running and boxing to achieve it. It offers three levels of training, all basically the same format but with different intensity levels.
I have used this book several times over the last 2 years and enjoy the workouts. I break up the daily routines into 3 segments-the calisthetic part in the morning, the weights in the afternoon and the ad work in the evening. On running days, a similar pattern-running in the morning, weights at lunch and ab work in the evening. The routines don't take long that way but adds to fat-burning and muscle-building without exhaustion.
There are some negative points: they show exercises that they don't use and suggest exercises that they don't show.
But overall, I recommend this book to everyone who wants to get in shape without joining a gym.

I bought this book 2 years ago and still use the routines. This is a good book for beginner to intermediate trainers who want variety. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to get in shape quickly and effectively.

I found this book very simple to follow and comprehend. In the past, I have run across books that are way too complicated and contain too much complexed unnecessary information. Once I picked this book up to read it, it was hard to put down. I found myself eager to learn more of these techniques. Fortunately, I have never been a victim of any violent crime and as a result am not sure if I would make the correct choices when it comes to defending myself. This book left me with a sense of assurance. I certainly feel like if a bad situation were to present itself, I can defend myself a lot better "now" than prior to reading this book. I liked the book so much and was so impressed with the way it was presented that I bragged about it to my co-workers and picked up extra copies for my sisters and mom at Christmas. I wanted to give them a "thoughtful" gift and also a sense of security. This is definitely a book that has self defense techniques that are so simple that even GRANDMA can learn them! If it's "instinctive" self defense techniques you are after, Common Sense Self Defense is the book for you. The authors of this book did an excellent job on the presentation of this book and made sure the audience would stay interested while reading its contents. Even though I was an amateur, the techniques were effortless. Thanks to this wonderful book my eyes are now open. The techniques are fun to practice too!!!!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.At first,I thought that it would be a book of 'how to' techniques but I was pleasantly surprised.This book really does teach and promote common sense.Of course, not all techniques could be presented in this book but the ones that were are very helpful.I appreciate the fact that this book doesn't promote a "gung-ho" attitude.The real key is to walk away or avoid situations where you could find yourself in a very precarious situation and to be alert of your surroundings.Only when it's absolutely warrented does it give tips on actual techniques to defend yourself and whether you may need to use excessive force.I have to tell you that a friend and I practiced a couple of these techniques and they actually worked.While I hope that I will not be a victim of a criminal attack, I do believe that the techniques that I've learned in this book will be very helpful not to mention practical.

This book is an execellent source for individuals with little self defense training. It gives you some basic defense techniques that you can practice on your own or with a partner. It is not overly complicated like some books I have read. The reader will not get bored or frustrated, but will enjoy reading and learning from the book. Even if you are experienced in self defense techniques, you will appreciate the quality of this book. It is the kind of book you will keep close by, as a reference.
In this day and age, every law abiding citizen should be conscious of threats that may be around them, and they should have some thought as to what tactic to take, in the event of a criminal attack. The police and other law enforcement can not be everywhere. You need to have some basic training to be able to defend yourself, or at least survive until help does arrive. Stop being a victim. Take control of your life and start by purchasing this book. You won't regret it.